Senators Schumer and Clinton Offer New Hope for ADAP

A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!

Congress has returned to work and efforts are underway to pass a final appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2003. HIV/AIDS programs such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) are currently being funded through a series of "continuing resolutions," or temporary spending bills, until Congress can negotiate a final bill.

The House of Representatives is expected to pass another continuing resolution until the end of January, to allow time for negotiating a final bill. It will then work on drafting an "omnibus" appropriations bill, which will combine all the various spending bills into one. It is expected that this bill will be negotiated by a small group, with little opportunity for most House members to debate or amend the bill.

The Senate, however, is expected to pass separate appropriations bills, with opportunities for individual Senators to debate and amend the bills before they are finalized. A joint House/Senate conference committee will eventually come together to work out differences between the two versions.

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) are circulating a sign-on letter to other Senators urging Senate appropriators to provide the $162 million increase for ADAP identified by experts as needed to address the current fiscal crisis in the program. If enough Senators sign this letter, it may provide a new chance to obtain a meaningful and desperately needed increase for ADAP in the final appropriations bill.

Advertisement

What You Can Do

Please call your two U.S. Senators immediately, in their Washington, DC office. Ask to speak to the legislative staffer who handles HIV/AIDS issues. Whether you speak to that person live or leave a message, tell them:

Sample Phone Message

"I am a constituent of Senator ____________s and I urge him/her to sign the letter by Senators Schumer and Clinton that urges a $162 million increase over the Presidents request for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. This program is in a fiscal crisis in many states and this increase is desperately needed to ensure that people living with HIV have access to lifesaving treatment. To sign this letter, please contact Heather McLean in Senator Schumer's office, Heather_McLean@schumer.senate.gov, or 202-224-6542."

Please act on this Alert quickly and urge your family, friends, coworkers, etc. to do the same!

Contact Information

You can reach your Senators toll-free through the Capitol switchboard toll-free at 1-800-648-3516. Ask to be transferred to their offices.

A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.